About

HABITAT – human altered landscapes. Aerial Photo Book.

€40,597

pledged of €10,000 goal

587

backers

Update 12th July: Stretch funding goal

HABITAT reached its funding goal in just six days. You can't imagine how happy I am with such an amazing result. Having worked on this project for more than two years, I really grew a relationship with those photos. My deep gratitude to everyone who contributed turning HABITAT into a real book.

Now that the printing of HABITAT is secured, I am working towards getting the book done as perfect as possible. The funding goal was the absolute minimum to cover the basic printing costs. I would actually like to give this book some extra features like stitched binding, Hardcover linen, embossing and a first class photo paper for the images. All those things are add-ons and create extra costs. That's why I would like to stretch the goal to 18.000 Euro to make the book as valuable as possible. On top and as a little acknowledgment of your support, I will put an extra panorama postcard (surprise image) to every book and poster order. // update end

The Project:

The photo book HABITAT explores the relationship between man and nature by aerial photography. It focuses on landscapes that have been transformed by human intervention. The project invites viewers to discover our planet from a new perspective, to comprehend the dimensions of human interventions on our Earth’s surface, and, ultimately, to assume responsibility.

The book HABITAT is a long-term aerial photo project by Tom Hegen. It will be published in a high-quality hardcover photo book with the renowned German publishing house Kerber.

This Kickstarter campaign is an opportunity to pre-order a signed and numbered copy from a limited edition of 300 books and to help me, turning this idea into a real book.

»In recent centuries humans have become one of the most important factors influencing the biological, geological and atmospheric processes on Earth. Meanwhile, we have left our marks on more than two-thirds of the Earth's surface. Scientists now suggest that we should live in a new human era, called Anthropocene.«

HABITAT – human altered landscapes

We hardly pay attention to how much we have changed our planet in order to meet our needs. A forest, for instance, can look like ordinary nature from the ground. But by changing the point of view, you can actually see that this forest is based on a grid – built by man.

The book HABITAT explores the relationship between man and nature by aerial photography. It raises the question of when a man’s influence on Earth began and how our civilization has developed since that. Five chapters and 90 photographs show on over 180 pages traces of human presence on Earth. Each chapter is supplemented by some representative facts and infographics that illustrate to which extent we claim our environment in order to meet our needs. The photos look pleasing at first sight but reveal an irritation of man-made landscapes at second glance. The project invites viewers to discover their environment from a new perspective, to comprehend the dimensions of human interventions on our Earth’s surface, and, ultimately, to assume responsibility.

How information and facts are being revealed and how they are interacting with images.

Five chapters tell the story of human evolution. From early stages of our civilization at the beginning of agriculture, the extraction of raw materials up to the present, modern society. The book concludes with landscapes that show, how our planet looks like when we have less impact on our earth.

Printed on beautiful 170g/m² photo paper with an essay about the development of the world population as well as facts and infographic that show to which extent we claim our world in order to meet our needs. To illustrate the impact we have on our environment, Germany – a highly developed country in the middle of Europe, where the landscape of about 99,4 Percent of the countries land has been changed – will exemplify in numbers and graphs, how we as humans interact with our environment.

THE ESSAYISTS: Dr. Georg Gerster, Prof. Dr. Reinhold Leinfelder

The book is preceded by two essays that I am extremely happy to have. Dr. Georg Gerster (*1928) is a Swiss Journalist and Pioneer of Aerial Photography. He took extensive photo expeditions in every part of the world. His photographs have been presented in numerous publications and exhibitions. Georg Gerster will write about his point of view of how we as human beings have an impact on our environment.

Prof. Dr. Reinhold Leinfelder (*1957) is a German Paleontologist and Geobiologist. He holds a professorship at Freie Universität Berlin and is a member of the Working Group of the »Anthropocene«, at International Commission on Stratigraphy. He will provide an introduction to the idea of the Anthropocene and will point out future challenges of our society.

THE PUBLISHER

The renowned German publishing house Kerber Verlag is an internationally oriented art book publisher with its own in-house production. They have been publishing books on contemporary and modern art and photography since 1985 and focus on extraordinary books that truly stand out. The book HABITAT will be published at Kerber Verlag in German and English language.

ABOUT ME

My Name is Tom Hegen, I am a Photographer and Graphic Designer from Munich, Germany. I photograph landscapes, that have been heavily transformed by human intervention and show places, where nature is channelled, regulated and controlled. From a distance – from the top – the often irreversible trace that we have left on our planet is even more evident. I would like to inspire people to look closer at the impact we have on our environment and ask if and how we could assume responsibility.

The Idea for this project started when I visited an exhibition in Munich about the concept of the »Anthropocene« five years ago. I was fascinated and also shocked by the sheer impact, we as human beings have on our environment. I wanted to explore the idea of the »Anthropocene« with my own creative language.

I studied visual communication in Germany and United Kingdom and have a masters degree in communication design. My aerial photos have a very graphic touch and you can probably see my graphic design background. I live in south Germany, really close to the European Alps. That fact probably also sensitized me to focus on nature-themed subjects.

Figuring out, how the infographics would best work, analouge style.

THE REWARDS

This Kickstarter Project is an great opportunity, to turn the idea of HABITAT into a real book. Therefore, I invite you to be part of it. Anything helps - even a small contribution gets me and the project closer to the goal of publishing the book. This is why I offer some aerial photos as special prints including postcards, the book, archival posters, fine art prints and some more. Here are sample images of the rewards listed on the right side of this page:

Thank you Cover-Photo-Postcard 10x21 cm, 5 Euro

Set of Six Postcards 10x21 cm, 20 Euro

The Book HABITAT, limited and signed edition, 45 Euro

Limited Edition Poster »HABITAT« (Scene A: Bridge) 50x70 cm, 50 Euro

Limited Edition Poster »HABITAT« (Scene B: Forest) 50x70 cm, 50 Euro

Limited Edition Poster »The Salt Series« 50x70 cm, 50 Euro

Limited Edition Poster »The Tulip Series« 50x70 cm, 50 Euro

Limited Edition Poster »The Quarry Series« 50x70 cm, 50 Euro

Limited Edition Poster »The Mediterranean Series« 50x70 cm, 50 Euro

One to Keep and Share – Two books, limited and signed edition, 85 Euro

The Book, limited and signed edition and a Limited Edition Poster (After a successful campaign end, I will get in touch with you to ask which one of the five posters available you would like), 90 Euro

Kickstarter provides a platform for artists to reach out to their community to fund their projects. You can think of Kickstarter as a pre-order system. But instead of paying for an order, you're pledging to contribute to an Artist project.

For me, it is most important to complete HABITAT as perfectly as possible. After all, I have been working on this project for two and a half years. To make it a real book I still need to contribute a financial amount for Book Printing, Licensing for Translation, Marketing. The amount from this campaign will go straight into turning this project into a real book. I set the campaign goal on the lower side as a way of being realistic. If I don't reach my goal, I won't get any money from the campaign at all. The money you pledge will only taken if the goal is reached.

In return, I offer the book and some aerial photos of the book as special prints including postcards, archival posters, fine art prints and some more. All book orders done here will be accompanied with a 21x10 cm thank you postcard.

OTHER WAYS TO HELP THE PROJECT

One of the best ways to help the project is by posting this Kickstarter page on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, your favourite social networks and share the message with everyone interested. Your help and contributions are and will be greatly appreciated.

HABITAT is a project that should inspire people to look closer at the impact we have on our world and ultimately, to assume responsibility for it.

Thank you for your time and interest.

Risks and challenges

Once the project is funded, there are no significant risks. The publisher has it's own printing company here in Germany, already secured and prepared for the job. The research, shooting and processing have all been accomplished as you can see in the book dummy. All of the Kickstarter contributions will go directly into the printing and distribution of the book.

Support

Select this reward

Pledge €5 or more
About $6

Help the Project - Thank you Postcard

Anything helps - even a small contribution gets me and the project closer to the goal of publishing the book. You receive a 21x10 cm panorama postcard of the cover image from the book HABITAT with a personal note.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge €50 or more
About $57

Ltd. Poster »The Mediterranean Series«

You receive a Limited Edition Poster 50x70 cm of one image of my project »The Mediterranean Series« (see image on the left in the reward section). Beautifully printed on 250g/m² matte paper, this poster is collectable art.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge €175 or more
About $199

Special Edition Book (Edition of 5)

The special edition of HABITAT is limited to 5 copies and is numbered and signed. It is the first draft and the prototype of the book. Thread binding hardcover clothbound, as seen in the video. Only this edition will come in a handmade black slipcase! On top, you’ll be mentioned as a supporter in the acknowledgement section of the book.
This version of the book has already been produced and will ship straight after the crowdfunding campaign. You will have this book at least two months before the actual release and have it before anyone else. Written language in this book will be german only.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge €1,500 or more
About $1,707

Limited Fine Art Print (Edition of 5)

Carefully c-printed on archival Hahnemuehle fine art paper, these prints are editioned to just 5 and come at a size of 80x120cm. Large enough to dive into the photography and to observe all details of the photo. All are numbered and signed on verso and come with a certificate of authenticity.
Please get in touch to discuss which images and framing options (extra) are available.